


Reasons Why Fredrick Should Probably Not be a Guild Leader (And a Few Reasons Why He Should)

by BlueFairyKino



Category: Etrian Odyssey Series, 新・世界樹の迷宮2 ファフニールの騎士 | Etrian Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight
Genre: Multi, arianna is just Concerned for both her bfs well being, but who knows with how easily i fall to angst, flavio also needs help, his bf is constantly freaking him out, not as serious as my other stuff, not ur usual fafnir knight commonly portrayed, pls help fredrick he's trying his best, protag is named fredrick in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-01-01 09:09:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18332993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFairyKino/pseuds/BlueFairyKino
Summary: Everyone in High Lagaard sees Fredrick, Fafnir Knight and leader of Guild Victona, as a serious, somewhat-aloof man who doesn't take people fooling around all that well. Clearly, someone like him would never constantly stuff his face full of rye bread and venison, or adopt a small monster after saving it a bunch.Oh, if only they knew.





	Reasons Why Fredrick Should Probably Not be a Guild Leader (And a Few Reasons Why He Should)

**Author's Note:**

> AKA "Local Survivalist and Princess nearly have multiple panic attacks from their boyfriend's shenanigans, more at 11"
> 
> HI SO THIS IS A THING TOO NOW
> 
> basically i LOVE how much dumb stuff u can do and say in this game (coughcherrybridgemushroomscough), and it rly paints a more amusing light on the protag. so here we are. with this dumbass who just wants to chill sometimes
> 
> and also has a problem with adopting every baby/small animal he finds. which is what the first chapter is about
> 
> ALSO NOTE some chaps will have the ot3 moreso implied, some will have it be official by that point. either way arianna and flavio both love their boyfriend, even if he constantly makes arianna panic over him and flavio nearly have a heart attack

Flavio still remembered it well, the day that Fredrick's habit started. The two had been walking back to the orphanage after having a little time to themselves, and they'd spotted a stray puppy cowering in the shadows. The silver-haired boy had immediately become smitten with the little guy, and admittedly, it _was_ amusing to see their caretakers do a double take when they saw the two of them walk in with a dog at their heels.

It was that single animal, that _single_ pet that they had let them keep, that got Fredrick into the _unresistable_ habit of wanting to take home _every single small animal they saw_.

It's also what got Flavio used to saying things like _no, Fredrick, we have mice back at the dorms already_ or _no, we can't take those kittens home, let's give them to a shelter_ or even _PUT THE FOX DOWN, FREDRICK, WE AREN'T TAKING IT HOME!_

That one was a classic.

Never in a million years, though, did Flavio imagine that this love for small animals would extend to labyrinth monsters, nor that it would result in a small friend waiting for them to return to the inn every day.

Really, considering some of Fredrick's other shenanigans, though, he really should have expected it.

 

***

 

It had started with a single monster. A smaller than normal, _clearly_ not that bright hedgehog, getting itself caught in the roots of a tree. Fredrick, being the selfless animal lover he was, had taken pity on the small guy and freed it, despite the likeliness that they'd have to fight it eventually.

Oddly, during his time staring at it and waiting for it to tire itself out, Flavio had noticed Fredrick pause for a moment, as if he'd noticed something.

And clearly, he wasn't the only one, as Arianna had approached him later and asked about it.

"...something about it was off." He slid the monster compendium over and opened up to the hedgehog's page. "The spines on this things are normally short and sharp, right? Well...this one wasn't like that. It's spines were a bit longer and thinner, but the ends were rounded."

Chloe tilted her head. "A defect?"

"Most likely. Something genetic, I'd guess."

"Oh dear..." Arianna frowned. "Would that not mean that it would be more difficult for the poor thing to defend itself?"

"That's just nature, though." Bertrand huffed. "Guess even the Labyrinth isn't immune to stuff like that."

"That is true, but..." Arianna looked down, clearly bothered by this. Flavio happened to glance at Fredrick at that point, and noticed that he seemed to be a bit bothered by it, too.

_.....oh no._

 

***

 

They encountered the hedgehog a few more times after that, each time on a different floor. Flavio _still_ didn't get why Fredrick decided to help it each time, but he couldn't exactly complain much after the previous two rescues had resulted in them getting some rare materials.

He didn't see it leading up to something big, but then the little guy had protected them from some strong monsters and prevented a possibly deadly ambush.

"There." Chloe finally moved her hands away, having patched up the hedgehog after it had gotten injured helping them. "All better."

With a gentle gaze, Fredrick leaned down and reached out his hand to the tiny creature. It sniffed his hand for a moment, and then lightly licked his finger and nuzzled against his hand.

Arianna smiled as she gazed upon the two. "What a sweet little thing..."

...ok, Flavio had to admit it at this point: the little guy  _was_ pretty cute.

After the whole event was over, the group began walking away, ready to put this behind them and continue-

"Uh, guys, don't look now," Bertrand was turned around, staring behind everyone. "But that thing is following us."

A quick spin around confirmed that, yes, the hedgehog was indeed following right behind them.

And its eyes were right on Fredrick.

With a happy squeak, it ran forward, and the second it got to the guild leader it began climbing up him (which was easy, considering how the man himself was standing completely still in both shock and also fear of making it fall), eventually perching itself up on his shoulder. It then let out another soft whistling noise, nuzzling against Fredrick's face.

...the man's eyes were practically  _sparkling_.

Arianna curiously eyed the small beast.

"Is it possible...? Could it perhaps want to stay with Sir Fredrick?"

_Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me._

"....hey, Fl-"

"Oooooh no you don't! We are  _not_ doing this again!" With a huff, Flavio stood right in front of the other male, eyes darting between him and the hedgehog sitting on his shoulder. "You're bad enough with _regular_ animals, we are  _not_ having this conversation regarding a labyrinth monster!"

"But it loves me."

"That's not the issue here! Where the heck would we even keep it?"

"The inn."

"What's the innkeeper gonna say when we come back with a monster?! We can't keep it!"

"Erm, pardon me, but..." Arianna stepped forward and put her hand up towards the hedgehog, smiling when it sniffed, then licked her fingers. "It  _is_ friendly, so it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable...plus, would taking it in not be the perfect way to repay it for helping us?"

"When did this become about repaying it?!"

Against his better judgement, Flavio turned back to Fredrick...and came face-to-face with his childhood friend's infamous puppy-dog eyes, the man himself now cradling the hedgehog in his arms. Everyone else was looking at either one of the boys, or at the happy looking animal.

...he really had no choice in the matter, did he?

"Fine. If the innkeeper says it can stay, you can keep it."

 

***

 

While Hanna  _had_ been shocked when Fredrick walked into the inn with a hedgehog in his arms, once she had been informed of the whole situation around it, she was, surprisingly, perfectly happy with letting them keep it, and even promised to watch over it when they had to go into the labyrinth. In order to tell at a glance that it was theirs, Arianna had put a small red ribbon around its longest horn.

"Y'know," Bertrand said to Fredrick, who was currently letting the creature sleep on his lap. "If we're gonna keep that thing, you might wanna name it."

The knight had been deep in thought after that, likely running multiple names through his head, before he lightly smiled and gently pet the hedgehog on the head.

"I'm thinking...Hazel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm thinking that the chapters will alternate, with one being purely comedic and silly, the next being more serious (and possibly a lil angsty. or just pure fluff), and it'll go back and forth. thoughts?


End file.
